Jaguars receive plenty of interest in Yannick Ngakoue trade talk

JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 02: Yannick Ngakoue #91 of the Jacksonville Jaguars in action during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at TIAA Bank Field on December 2, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars won 6-0. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Several teams have called the Jaguars about Yannick Ngakoue, but no deal has been made yet in a move to trade the former Pro Bowl defensive end.

The Jaguars may still be open to trading Yannick Ngakoue, but if they do make a move it will be on their terms.

According to Mike Garafalo of NFL Network, there have been teams who have made inquiries about Ngakoue’s services, but no serious offers have been made. And despite Ngakoue continuing to call out the team via social media, there has been no reply from the front office about a potential trade prior to the NFL Draft.

The #Jaguars have heard from multiple interested teams about a possible trade for DE Yannick Ngakoue, who turns 25 today. The Jags value him and won’t give him away for little return but it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out as we draw closer to the draft.

Ngakoue has not backed off his demand to be traded although the team has placed the franchise tag on the 25-year-old pass rusher. The two sides have not come to terms on a long-term deal and Ngakoue made it know at the beginning of last month he did not wish to remain in Jacksonville and play for the team in the future.

He even took to social media once again on his birthday earlier this week to announce his hope to rid himself of the current situation in Jacksonville.

“Unless that changes — and any serious offer would have to include at least one first-round pick — Ngakoue might be forced to pick between the $17.8 million he is due to make in 2020 on the franchise tag and sitting out the season,” DiRocco adds.

The standoff between the player and the franchise has almost reached a year in longevity and seems to be more heated, at least on the former 2016 third-round pick’s side. The 37.5 sacks he has produced and 14 fumbles over a four-year period show he has outplayed a contract that paid him just over $2M last season.

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And for a defense that has lost several key players the past two seasons, losing another young pass rusher could be another nail in the coffin of the team’s hopes this coming season.

“It started in July, when former executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin abruptly broke off negotiations with Ngakoue and his agent, Ari Nissim,” DiRocco wrote. “The Jaguars reportedly offered Ngakoue a deal that would pay him $19 million annually, but Ngakoue turned it down, and he played last season — after an 11-day training camp holdout — for $2.025 million, a considerable bargain for a player who racked up 29.5 sacks in three seasons.”

Head coach Doug Marrone, when he spoke to myself and other members of the media, was asked on Tuesday about preparing for the season potentially without Ngakoue on the roster. Marrone, who is entering his fourth full season in Jacksonville, has been one to praise his player for his work ethic on the field and the intensity he brings to the team.

“Yannick has been great. He’s done everything I’ve asked him to do as a head coach and everything Todd Wash has asked him to do on the defensive coordinator. When the business starts getting involved, it’s tough,” Marrone added.

If the Jaguars do trade Ngakoue, it means second-year pass rusher Josh Allen will be the main focus of the defense. The Jaguars also have Dawuane Smoot, who recorded six sacks last season and Lerentee McCray, who was re-signed this offseason. The team signed Cassius Marsh in free agency.